News Journal

Oskar Blues Brewery

I constantly run into glowing praise of Oskar Blues Brewery when discussing beer on Twitter or Facebook, but the Longmont, Colo., products only recently made it to Ohio shelves. My only previous encounter came when drinking with my friend John Carcutt near Philadelphia. On that occasion, I tried Dale’s Pale Ale. That beer was delicious, clean and balanced, although hoppy enough to appeal to an India pale ale fan. It weighs in at 6.5 percent alcohol by volume and 65 International Bitterness Units. If you try one, expect it to be a bit more hops-forward than most pale ales — and expect to enjoy it if you are a hophead. I certainly liked it.

Now that Oskar Blues is available in my home state, I’ve had a chance to try a few more offerings from this brewery. It’s good stuff.

Because the pale ale goes all in for hops, you might expect the brewery’s IPA to be a real hops lover’s smack in the mouth. You would be correct.

After renewing my acquaintance with Dale’s Pale Ale, I tried Deviant Dale’s IPA. It’s a big beer that hits you fast and hard with a huge pine and grapefruit aroma. Columbus hops, and a lot of them, are used in the finishing stages, giving this copper brew a solid hops finish. There are hoppier IPAs out there, but this one approaches “dare-you-to-drink-it” hops bitterness without actually going too far. It takes you to the edge, then reels you back in with a whoooooosh of a clean finish. This is a solid IPA, at 8 percent ABV and 85 IBUs.

I also like the G’Knight Imperial Red, another brew that leans on hops for its character. In appearance, it reminds of the Great Lakes Brewing Company’s fall seasonal, Nosferatu. It has an altogether different flavor profile, though. I like the way the taste goes hops, malts and then hops again — you might say it hops around a bit. G’Knight is a big 8.7 percent ABV and about 60 IBUs.

If you are not a fan of the Humulus lupulus, you might be wondering what Oskar Blues has for you. Consider Mama’s Little Yella Pils. It’s a lovely golden beer with a nice white head of foam and a not-so-hoppy profile. German malts and a dose of Saaz hops make this one a good choice when the heat’s on. Pils, a Czechoslovakian style, is not my usual choice, but this is basically the brew a lot of mass-produced offerings claim to be. It is cleaner, smoother and more flavorful than the typical American lager. It’s more of a session beer than other Oskar Blues choices, too, at 5.3 percent ABV and 35 IBUs.

The Oskar Blues brew that really got my attention, though, was the Ten FIDY Imperial Stout. This is a brawling beast of a beer. When you pour this dark beauty, you can see how thick it is. The brown head is luxurious, and throws off fascinating aromas of chocolate, coffee and roasted barley. All of those flavors melt together with a dose of caramel.

There is a lot of roasted barley bitterness here — we’re talking 98 IBUs. The alcohol content is high, 10.5 percent ABV, and although there is some boozy heat to this beer, the texture and finish are surprisingly smooth. It’s sort of rough-edged and silky at the same time. It’ll stand up to most other stouts out there, and knock a lot of them down.

The gentleman who shared the Oskar Blues beers with me included an Old Chub Scotch Ale in the mix, but in a sudden, inexplicable fit of sociability I sent that can off with a new acquaintance. I was secretly hoping he’d select the pils, but he took the Scotch. I don’t blame him, but I haven’t heard from him yet to get his review, so I can’t tell you much about Old Chub. The press material says it employs beechwood-smoked malts, and that sounds like a good thing, so I will be on the lookout.

In my neck of Ohio, I’ve seen Oskar Blues six-packs going for $8.99. That’s a pretty good price for some really good beer. And if you are among those who still scoffs at the idea of great beer in a can, get over it. Oskar Blues is a pioneer in that effort, and has been since 2002. Cans keep the cost down, block all the taste-spoiling light and are great for recycling. Trust me, there is no metallic taste in the beer — although Deviant Dale’s has a certain heavy metal vibe. Rock on.